Energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure

ABSTRACT

An energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure is disclosed, wherein a sock body is provided with an energy-generating material that is distributed on at least one surface of the sock body at different densities and over different extents in accordance with a distribution density of acupuncture points on a human foot and requirements in selecting the acupuncture points on the foot, so that stimulating and conducting effects of various strengths can be produced at different meridians and acupuncture points of the foot. In addition, the sock body remains perfectly soft in areas that need not produce such effects and therefore provides a more comfortable wearing experience.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sock structure, and more particularly, to an energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure, wherein a sock body is provided with an energy-generating material that is distributed on at least one surface of the sock body at different densities and over different extents in accordance with a distribution density of acupuncture points on a human foot and requirements in selecting the acupuncture points on the foot, so that stimulating and conducting effects of various strengths can be produced at different meridians and acupuncture points of the foot. In addition, the sock body remains perfectly soft in areas that need not produce such effects and therefore provides a more comfortable wearing experience.

2. Description of Related Art

People in a modern society live a busy life. Stressful lifestyles and lack of proper exercise and relaxation lead to a variety of diseases of civilization. Therefore, numerous kinds of health-promoting or massage devices for rapidly relieving fatigue, loosing up strained muscles or improving the circulation of qi and blood have been developed and put on the market. Of all these devices, many are designed to produce certain effects on the human foot. This is mainly because therapy based on the acupuncture points on the foot has been proven effective by traditional Chinese medicine. More specifically, the human foot has a lot of acupuncture points distributed thereon that correspond to and reflect different parts or organs of the human body. In addition, some of the major meridians run through the feet. Therefore, by massaging, acupuncturing or performing magnetic therapy, medicated patches, herbal fumigation and washing on the acupuncture points and reflective zones on the feet, the entire body or individual systems thereof can be cured of diseases or regulated so as to recuperate or maintain good health. According to traditional Chinese medicine, this kind of treatment falls into the category where internal disorders are dealt with by external means. Besides, as the old Chinese sayings go, “the rich take medicine, the poor scald their feet” and “the rich eat ginseng, the poor knead their soles”. It is also widely accepted in the medical community that “aging begins with the feet” and that “a pair of ruddy feet indicate both physical and mental health”. This can be explained by the fact that a great number of nerve endings are distributed in the human feet and hands, where qi and blood circulate relatively slowly, and that the functioning of internal organs depends on the circulation of qi and blood, or rather, as ancient Chinese put it, “qi is the master of blood while blood is the mother of qi”, meaning qi and blood are dependent upon and contributive to each other. Therefore, illnesses may take place wherever the circulation is congested. Moreover, the acupuncture point of Yongquan on the sole is the starting point of the kidney meridian of Foot-Shaoyin and communicates with the spleen meridian of Foot-Taiyin and the liver meridian of Foot-Jueyin. These three Yin meridians are further connected with other meridians in the human body. Therefore, by sufficiently energizing the three Yin meridians, all the other meridians can be directly or indirectly invigorated, so that diseases can be cured and the body strengthened. Feet scalding and sole kneading as mentioned above are simply ways to accelerate blood circulation, improve nutrient transport in the body and promote health.

Among the aforesaid health-promoting or massage devices are articles of clothing, including clothes, gloves, socks, shoes, head coverings and so forth, wherein socks and shoes work on the feet. Nowadays, the most common design is to apply and couple an energy-generating element, in the form of particles, to the sole of a shoe or a sock. Although the final product can be conveniently worn, the particles may make a wearer uncomfortable if they are not distributed uniformly over the entire product. On the other hand, an overly dense distribution of the particles may reduce the overall softness of the product and restrict the design and application thereof. An alternative design is to impregnate fibers or fabrics with the energy-generating element, which are then made into the desired objects. In this case, however, the production cost is higher and, in order to satisfy users' need of a comfortable feel on the body, the materials used to make the objects themselves tend to limit the application, and impair the strength, of the final products, thereby leaving much room for improvement. Moreover, the foregoing two designs are suitable for comprehensive application of the energy-generating element, and yet the acupuncture points on the foot are not distributed uniformly over the entire foot. In other words, the acupuncture points are abundant in some areas, but sparse in other areas, of the foot. Therefore, according to the requirements of traditional Chinese medicine in meridian circulation and the replenishment and purgation of acupuncture points or the theory of qi and blood conduction, if the energy-generating element is applied comprehensively and uniformly, the effect may be compromised, so that improvement is imperative in this respect.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary objective of the present invention is to design an energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure which can be more comfortably worn and is configured to better conform to the physical therapy principles of traditional Chinese medicine. More particularly, a sock body is provided with an energy-generating material (comprising a negative electromagnetic energy-generating material, a positive electromagnetic energy-generating material, or a mineral having energy), wherein the energy-generating material is distributed over a large extent and/or in a great quantity on parts of the sock body corresponding in position to areas of the foot where acupuncture points are densely distributed, and over a small extent and/or in a small quantity on parts of the sock body corresponding in position to areas of the foot where acupuncture points are sparsely distributed. Thus, energy level effects of sufficient but varied strengths can be generated in different areas of the foot to facilitate the conduction of qi and blood, increase the momentum for qi and blood transportation, and thereby improve the circulation of qi and blood.

Another objective of the present invention is to apply an energy-generating material to an article of clothing only in areas corresponding in position to acupuncture points that need to be acted upon, whereas other areas of the article of clothing corresponding in position to acupuncture point that need not be acted upon are provided with a reduced quantity of, or not provided at all with, the energy-generating material, thereby satisfying the requirements of physical therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, overcoming the problem that the article of clothing might have a less pleasing texture due to the application of the energy-generating material, and reducing the overall production cost.

A further objective of the present invention is to apply an energy-generating material, in the form of a coating material or an adhesive material, to a surface of a sock body at a very small thickness, so that the applied area is allowed to remain sufficiently soft and will not press too hard on or even irritate a user's skin when the sock body is worn, thereby giving the user a more comfortable wearing experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The physical structure and effects of the present invention can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing acupuncture points on a dorsal portion of a human foot;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing an acupuncture point on a sole of the human foot;

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing acupuncture points on a lateral side and a heel of the human foot;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural drawing of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention when worn on a user's foot;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the present invention when worn on a user's foot;

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing of the present invention worn on a user's foot, showing qi and blood conduction by the present invention in a purging state; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing of the present invention worn on a user's foot, showing qi and blood conduction by the present invention in a replenishing state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate distributions of acupuncture points 11 (shown as black dots) on a human foot 10. As mentioned earlier, the acupuncture points 11 are densely distributed in certain areas (such as a forward dorsal portion and a lateral side) of the foot 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and sparsely distributed in other areas of the foot 10 (such as the ankle and a central portion of the sole), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the present invention comprises a sock body 20, wherein an energy-generating material,.30 (including a negative electromagnetic energy-generating material, a positive electromagnetic energy-generating material, or a mineral or mineral powder having energy) is printed, coated or adhered on predetermined surface areas of the sock body 20. The extent to which and the quantity in which the energy-generating material 30 is distributed on the sock body 20 depend on and correspond to the extent to which and the density at which the acupuncture points 11 are distributed on a wearer's foot. For example, a part 21 of the sock body 20 corresponding in position to a forward dorsal portion of the foot is provided densely with a large quantity of the energy-generating material 30, so as to produce relatively intense effects on the densely distributed acupuncture points in that portion of the foot (such as the acupuncture points of Gongsun, Taibai, Dadu, Yinbai, Taichong, Xingjian, Dadun, Chongyang, Xiangu, Neiting, Lidui, Foot-Linqi, Diwuhui, Xiaxi and Foot-Qiaoyin). On the other hand, parts 22 and 23 of the sock body 20 corresponding in position to the sole and the ankle of the wearer's foot respectively, where a small number of acupuncture points (such as the acupuncture point of Yongquan at a central portion of the sole) are sparsely distributed, are either provided only with a single large spot of the energy-generating material 30 or provided sparsely with a small quantity of the energy-generating material 30.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, according to the sock structure described above, the different quantities of the energy-generating material 30 distributed at varied densities on the sock body 20 can generate different energy levels in different areas of the foot where the acupuncture points 11 are located, thereby improving the circulation of qi and blood among the acupuncture points 11 and producing various levels of conducting, replenishing and purging effects on the acupuncture points 11. Hence, an auxiliary force is generated to energize the meridians along which qi and blood are circulated, so as to enhance metabolism.

Furthermore, since the energy-generating material 30 of the present invention is coated, printed or adhered at a very small thickness on parts of the sock body 20 corresponding in position to the acupuncture points on the foot, and not applied to the entire sock body 20 in the form of particles having a considerable thickness, the sock body 20 not only remains sufficiently soft in those parts where the energy-generating material 30 is applied, but also preserves the softness and texture of the material of the sock body 20 in areas where energy effects are not required. As the unfavorable effects of the energy-generating material 30 on how the sock body 20 may feel on the wearer's foot are reduced, the sock body 20 can be more comfortably worn.

In conclusion, the present invention provides an energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure that better conforms to the principles of physical therapy and health care in traditional Chinese medicine, wherein the sock structure is further designed to provide a more comfortable wearing experience. Therefore, undoubtedly, a health-promoting sock of the present invention involves an inventive step. 

1. An energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure, comprising a sock body having a surface at least partially provided with an energy-generating material, wherein the energy-generating material is distributed densely or sparsely, depending on a density and a number of acupuncture points distributed on a human foot.
 2. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 1, wherein the energy-generating material is densely distributed in the form of a large number of spots on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to an area of the human foot where the acupuncture points are densely distributed, and the energy-generating material is sparsely distributed or is disposed in the form of a single large spot on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to an area of the human foot where the acupuncture points are sparsely distributed.
 3. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 1, wherein the energy-generating material is densely distributed over a large extent on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to a forward dorsal portion of the human foot.
 4. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 2, wherein the energy-generating material is densely distributed over a large extent on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to a forward dorsal portion of the human foot.
 5. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 1, wherein the energy-generating material is sparsely distributed on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to a sole of the human foot.
 6. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 2, wherein the energy-generating material is sparsely distributed on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to a sole of the human foot.
 7. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 5, wherein the energy-generating material is provided only on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to a central portion of the sole.
 8. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 6, wherein the energy-generating material is provided only on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to a central portion of the sole.
 9. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 1, wherein the energy-generating material is sparsely distributed on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to an ankle of the human foot.
 10. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 2, wherein the energy-generating material is sparsely distributed on a part of the sock body corresponding in position to an ankle of the human foot.
 11. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 1, wherein the energy-generating material is coated, printed or adhered on the sock body at a very small thickness.
 12. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 2, wherein the energy-generating material is coated, printed or adhered on the sock body at a very small thickness.
 13. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 3, wherein the energy-generating material is coated, printed or adhered on the sock body at a very small thickness.
 14. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 5, wherein the energy-generating material is coated, printed or adhered on the sock body at a very small thickness.
 15. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 7, wherein the energy-generating material is coated, printed or adhered on the sock body at a very small thickness.
 16. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 9, wherein the energy-generating material is coated, printed or adhered on the sock body at a very small thickness.
 17. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 1, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a negative electromagnetic energy-generating material.
 18. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 2, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a negative electromagnetic energy-generating material.
 19. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 3, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a negative electromagnetic energy-generating material.
 20. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 5, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a negative electromagnetic energy-generating material.
 21. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 9, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a negative electromagnetic energy-generating material.
 22. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 1, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a positive electromagnetic energy-generating material.
 23. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 2, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a positive electromagnetic energy-generating material.
 24. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 1, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a mineral material having energy.
 25. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 2, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a mineral material having energy.
 26. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 3, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a mineral material having energy.
 27. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 5, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a mineral material having energy.
 28. The energy-enhanced health-promoting sock structure of claim 9, wherein the energy-generating material comprises a mineral material having energy. 